Where to Find Books

Where to Find Books

The Seeker used books for sale at amazon.com
(good books, but I can't keep them all!)

by Theresa Welsh

Perhaps you get all your favorite books at one of those big elegant book stores with overstuffed chairs and a magazine and newspaper section overflowing with journals on every subject. Maybe you pick up a magazine you’ve never seen before and flip through it while enjoying a frothy latte in the cozy little coffee corner. You meander back through seemingly endless aisles of the latest books and select three or four you can hardly wait to read. This is a scenario I like very much.

However, it’s not a scenario I actually carry out very often because buying books at these superstores is expensive. It’s also only one of many ways to acquire a collection of great books. I’d like to share with you some of the ways I get my books.

Online Book Stores- You already know about the online bookstores like amazon.com and bn.com. I’ve bought books at these places and have always been satisfied. They provide a nice discount and have more books than you get at the book superstores. But in addition to these big online stores, many smaller publishers have websites. The small press is a source of many books on alternative culture and history that would not be published by the big publishers. The new print-on-demand method of printing books has let a lot more people become authors. Some of these self-published books are very good. Google "publish book" and find lots of these websites.
Rummage Sales- I admit it -- I love rummage sales! Not only do I get bags of neat stuff for a few dollars, but I buy books for 25 cents. A lot cheaper than the big fancy bookstore. But more than cheaper -- books you can’t get at the bookstore because they’re out of print. I have found some wonderful, rare books at these events held in church basements and gyms. There’s almost always a table of used books just waiting for you to explore. I got one of my all time favorite books, Holy Blood, Holy Grail, at a rummage sale at a Catholic school (ironic, considering the subject matter of the book).
Flea Markets- These are a lot like rummage sales, but are usually held at a permanent location. Often there are regular booksellers at these events, and sometimes impromptu book selling. I got a fantastic book, The Unknown Power by Guy Lyon Playfair, at the Farmer’s Market in Royal Oak, Michigan. I never would have found this book, written in 1975 by a Brasilian-English author, in a bookstore
Library Book Sales- Many libraries take book donations, then sell them to the public to raise money. I truly enjoy visiting these sales and digging through the books for gems. Often, they'll have a "bag sale" on the last day - a grocery bag full of books for $4, $5 or $6. I never miss these.
Yard Sales- When summer comes to Michigan, people love to clean out their closets, basements, and book shelves. My husband and I love trolling through other’s peoples’ stuff and we always come back with books.
The Trash- Believe it or not, one of my favorite fiction books dealing with alternate history came from a neighbors’ trash. This book had a missing cover and after I had read up to the exciting conclusion, I realized the last few pages were also missing. Darn! But The Hab Theory, the book I got out of the trash, turned out to be a classic not available any more. While looking in trash piles for books could be viewed as lacking in dignity, I never let that stop me. I'll do anything to get my hands on a good book.
Used Book Stores- I am lucky enough to live in a neighborhood that has two used book stores within walking distance of my house! These stores do not have any overstuffed furniture, although one of them has an overweight tabby named Maggie who gives the place a homey touch. The other store lacks a cat, but is crammed so full of books of every type and age that slipping through the narrow spaces between packed shelves is a delightful way to pass time while putting off more urgent pursuits. The great thing about used book stores is finding old books written in another era. I picked up a delightful book written in 1949 in one of these stores. Books dealing with history, the occult or unexplained do not have to be new -- events and insights from other eras can be very enlightening.
Online auction sites- You DO know about buying books at Ebay, don’t you? Sometimes you can get an out-of-print book there. The prices will be higher than at yard sales, but it’s a source of books you just can’t get at the big fancy bookstore
Used books at amazon.com, half.com etc- There are a number of large book sale sites that sell both new and used books. I love amazon.com! I write reviews for them too, and enjoy reading the reviews others write. It's always worth clicking the new and used link at any book's amazon site to see if it is available at a reduced price. I've started selling my surplus books here (my current inventory) and at half.com, where all the listings are used books.
The library- OK, you can’t own a book you take out from the library. But I love books so much, I’ll settle for having one for a few weeks while I enjoy it. Libraries sometimes have older books you can't find in bookstores. The library is a wonderful cultural institution that lets everyone have access to books. Why not support your public library by visiting it once in a while?

A few more places to check:
- My list of FREE books
- AbeBooks
- Kessenger Publishing -- republishes esoterica; many old and rare books available
- Flatland books has some hard-to-find books (mostly conspiracy)
Back to The Seeker Books and Reviews